NEWARK – Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen closed its Newark restaurant on Sunday, not because of unpaid sales tax, but because it plans to move to Heath, a company official said.

Sam Durrani, chief operating officer of the Popeye's franchise group, based in New Jersey, said Thursday that the sales taxes have now been paid, and the closure was entirely due to the location hurting business.

The Ohio Department of Taxation placed a pink slip on the business, at 964 N. 21st St., on Tuesday, showing that the restaurant's license had been suspended.

"We shut down two days prior," Durrani said. "We closed Sunday night. Sales taxes had nothing to do with it. The sales tax is paid and we are still not going to reopen.

"The trade area is a dying trade area. The Newark restaurants are not performing as well as the Heath restaurants are."